How to Build an Electronic Drum Set
- 1). Look online or at a local music store for a used live drum kit. The sound quality of the kit does not matter when considering it for an electronic setup, because you will use it to trigger samples. Just be sure to find something in good shape. You may, however, want to replace the drum heads on the kit if they are in bad condition, or if you enjoy using a certain type of head. Be sure to tighten the heads as desired to get a good feel when hitting the drums.
- 2). Attach the drum triggers to the drums. These small devices hook on to the rims of your drums and pick up the shock waves created when you hit them. You can purchase them for roughly $10 to $15 a piece or in packs for around $100 at most music stores. Try to choose triggers that use 1/4-inch male instrument cables. This commonly used connection should be compatible with most drum modules.
- 3). Connect your drum triggers to the drum module. A drum module contains libraries of drum samples to use with your kit, and you can assign one sample per trigger or multiple samples that will respond based on how hard you hit a drum. Most drums will use the single-sample method, but triggers for high hats and crash cymbals will implement the multiple-sample option.
Choose a drum module that suits your needs as a drummer. You may perform music that requires only a basic set of live drum samples, or you may require different kits for different songs. Alesis, Yamaha, Roland and many other companies make quality drum modules; although you can buy a module online, go into a local store and test one out before making a purchase.
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